All About Energy Alternatives

In
a previous post, I discussed how ethanol (usually 5% or more of our
gasoline) is produced in a manner that's very similar to the way the alcohol we
drink is distilled. In 2005, President
Bush initiated the Energy Policy
Act, calling for a mandate and
subsidy for ethanol production in the United States. Now, 6 years later
the Department of Energy (DOE) estimates
that 11.2 billion gallons of corn
ethanol are being produced, using 30% of all corn grown in the United States!
The implications of such heavy demand
for corn to supplement our fuel supply are huge.

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The
controversy surrounding such heavy reliance on corn is the topic of much debate. For
starters, ethanol contains less energy per gallon than gasoline, which is why blends
with higher ethanol percentages result in lower gas mileage. Also, when you factor in the total amount of
energy required to grow and process corn in the first place, the overall energy
gain is minimal. (Current estimates are that more than half of the energy
created by producing corn-based ethanol is negated by the amount of energy it
takes to grow, process, and distill it).

The
other concern focuses on the intensive strain corn places on soil and water resources. Corn is an inherently energy-intensive crop, meaning that it draws nutrients out of the soil. To counter this, farmers apply heavy doses of
petroleum-based fertilizers and chemicals to the soil. Additionally, because corn doesn't have a
permanent root structure, it makes the soil prone to washing away in heavy
rain, pulling pesticides and fertilizers with it into local watersheds. What's
more, the fact that 30% of corn grown
in the US is used to produce
automotive fuel puts a strain on corn supplies used for food and agriculture
here and abroad.

In
the future, solutions to all of these problems are possible. The proposed long-term solutions rely on what
are referred to as second-generation biofuels derived from environmentally benign
grasses and tree scraps. Right now, and
in the near future, the expense of breaking down these materials
detracts from their cost-effectiveness but it's expected that these costs will drop. Bioengineers are also aiming to harness algae
as a producer of fuel. Whichever avenue
biofuels take, in the future they're expected to help meet the demand for
automotive fuel supplies, while lessening their environmental footprint, and
making better use of limited resources.